Control mechanism for concrete-mixing apparatus



Ndv. I3, 1928.

1,691,031 H. A. BERLE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE MIXING QPPARATUS Filed April 14, 1928 I l I W avwentoz MAM Patented Nov. 13, 1928;

UNITED STATES PA'r NrfoFricE.

HELGE A. BERLE, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RANSOME CONCRETE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. I

-CONTRUL -MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE-MIXING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 14, 1928. Serial No. 270,056,

The present improvements relate in general to concrete mixing apparatus and more particularly to charging means for such appa ratus and control mechanism therefor.

In the art of concrete mixing and placing wherein freshly mixed concrete is mixed in situ and conveyed to the point of placement, it is of paramount importance to maintain a fixed ratio between the dry aggregates, cement, water, etc. Building and inspection requirements are rigidly enforced with respect to the proportions of the ingredients .ntroduced into the mixer, with the consequent development of various types of measuring tanks, hoppers, etc. to accurately predetermine the percentage of each ingredient for every given batch.

The employment of water measuring mean normally entails the use of supply and discharge means therefor which may be so indifferently and inadvertently operated as to destroy the measuring function of the receptacle, permitting an excess of water to reach the mixer. The present improvements have as their object, among others, the provision of a control mechanism for water measuring devices whereby an excess over the predetermined amount of water is precluded from passing to the mixer. A further object resides in the provision of valves and control means therefor functioning in association with or independently of'an operating means for the discharge 0 dry ingredients, compelling a sequential operation of the valves and precluding inadvertent or malicious actuation thereof.

Other objects will be apparent to. those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a measuring receptacle embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a modification of a detail.

The water measuring tank or vessel 1 may be suitably mounted on the mixer frame 2, preferably adjacent the mixer and hopper not shown), although any convenient 1ocation facilitating flow from the tank to the mixer will suflic'e. Water supply conduit 3 and discharge conduit 4 are provided. and may have independent communication with the tank 1. As illustrated, however, a convenient assembly results in the employment of a T section 5 uniting conduits 3 and 4, the

longerwleg of the section establishing communication between both conduits and the tank through port 6.

Control valves 7 and 8 are provided in the inlet and outlet pipes 3 and 4 respectivel and maybe of any suitable type, although 1n the present embodiment, valves of therotary plug design are employed. Automatic actuating means for the inlet valve 7 comprise an energized arm 9 suitably keyed to the plug of valve 7 for rotation therewith, a weight 10 being mounted on the longer branch of said arm. The lower surface of the opposite or shorter branch of said arm 9 is facedwith a plate 11, for contact, in the illustrated position (full line) with a spring 12 suitably secured to a shoulder 13 on T section 5.

The inlet valve 7 is normally held open when arm 9 is in elevated .or energized position, being restrained or locked in such position by a bail '14, pivoted to tank 1, defining a latch 15 normally engaged with nose 16 on the arm 9. In this position the weight 10 and compressed spring 12 stand energized to kic the arm 9 and valve 7 in a c ockwise direction.

The outlet valve 8 is provided with a seg mental gear 17, keyed to the plug of the valve for imparting rotation thereto. In the position illustrated, valve 8 is normally closed and is restrained or locked in such position by pivoted dog 18 incontact therewith. Said dog 18 has an integrally formed short arm 18 extending at an angle to the branch in contact with gear 17. As illustrated, this dog is loosely mounted for rocking movement on discharge or outlet valve 8 is normally locked in closed position, precluding flow through pipe 4. I Mechanism for sequence of operations including closing inlet valve 7,1ocking same in closedposition and simultaneously releasing the locking means for valve 8 and subsequent opening of said incepting a predetermined valve is provided in control features now to 22, being provided at its inner endwith a door or gate.

latch bar 23 for actuating a batch hopper The device is accordingly adapted for use in an organization such as described and claimed in the co ending application of .James E. Bushnel, filed February 23, 1928, Serial No. 256,208. A segmental gear 24 is loosely mounted on pivot 22 adapted to engage gear 1! for rotating same. Arm 21 and gear 24 are operatively connected by a delayed action or lost motion means comprising a slot 26 and pin 25.

A rod 27. suitably mounted adjacent the tank, has the lower end thereof pivotally connected to arm 21 at 28, extends through guide or bracket-29 mounted on tank 1 or any other convenient support and terminates, as illustrated, with a cam 30 contacting pin 31 on latch 15. A coil spring 32 surrounds 1 rod 27 and rests, at its base,.upon bracket 29, and at its opposite end bears on the bifurcated end 33 of a latch bar 34. Spaced above said spring, a collar 35 is secured to i the rod 27, as illustrated, so that the end 33 of bar 34, which embraces rod 27, is contacted on onefside by spring 32 and on the other by collar 35.

As described, the latch 34 has one end-bifurcated at 33, while the opposite end thereof is loosely pivoted for rocking movement about pivot 19. A recess 36 is. suitably provided on latch 34 for engagement by nose 16 ashereinafter'set forth.

In operation, the measuring means of the tank 1,-having been set'at the desired capacity, the inletand outlet valves as well as the control mechanism are in the position illustrated in fulllines; Accordingly, inletvalve 7 is locked open, outlet valve 8 is locked closed and latch bar 23 is ,down, holding the dry in redients within, the batch hopper (not shown It is apparent, that manual depression of lever 21, will not impart movement to gear 24 until rod'27 has been first, moved a substantial amount. Furthermore, gear 24 cannot' function 'toactuate gear 17, to open valve 8 until lock 18 has been released. It is therefore obvious that no water can be discharged from tank 1 through pipe 4 to-the mixer (not shown) until lock 18 is released,

. which release is dependent upon the closing and locking of the inlet valve 7, as will ap pean To discharge'the measured water in tank 1, arm 21 is manually or otherwise actuated in a clockwise direction. During the initial movement thereof, rod 27 is raised and cam 30 thereon through pin 31 swings latch 15 about its pivot until free of nose 16, while at the same time collar 35 is raised to dotted line position and spring 32 urges latch 34 to dotted (horizontal) position. Accordingly the arm 9 is now free to close valve 7. The spring'12, being under compression, supplements the gravity force of weight 10, and kicks arm 9 in a clockwise direction. It is to be noted that arm 18 of dog 18 is positioned in the path of moving arm 9 while catch 86 of latch 34 is disposed in the are of travel of nose 16. As arm 9 approaches the dotted line position it contacts with arm 18' and throws dog 18 to dotted line position where it is out of contact with gear 17. Simultaneously with this operation, the nose 16 of arm 9' snaps into recess 36 of the now horizontally disposed latch 34, the spring 32 being retracted sufficiently 'to allow nose 16 to pass into recess 36, but immediately restoring bar 34 to horizontal or locked position. The dotted line position of these parts represents the valve 7 in closed position and it is apparent that an upward pull on arm 9 in a direction for opening valve 7 is impossible due to the locking relation of bar 34 and nose 16. a

By the time the foregoing operations have been accomplished, the pin 25 is con tacting the upper end wall of slot 26, and. 1

since dog 18 has been removed and valve 7 is locked in closed position, gear 17 is now free to move and subsequent movement of lever 21, raises latch 23, moves gear 24 which in turn actuates gear 17 and outlet valve 8 is opened permitting the measured water in .tank 1 to discharge through conduit 4 to the mixer along with the dry ingredients from the batch hopper. Obviously, only the water from tank 1 discharges through pipe 4, andan excess amount direct from supply pipe 3 cannot be discharged through pipe 4 due f whereby collar 35 depresses and rocks latch 34 to the full line position releasing nose 16 on arm 9. The arm 9 is now free to be raised from dotted line to full line position. Dur-- ing this initial movement the pressure on arm 18 of dog18 is withdrawn and said dog snaps 'into full line position (locking the gear 1 f under the influence of spring 20. When arm 9 reaches full line position, valve 7 is again open and the lat 15 falls in position for holding said arm by miss 16. I

Suitable guides similar to bracket 29 may be provided along rod 27 wherever desired.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, a

modified form of locking means for holding inlet valve 7 closed, is depicted. All of the provements with this modified latch is the I same as that of the embodiment 'first described with the added feature that when the arm9 is locked with valve 7 in closed position" (1. e. when arm 9 is in dotted line position), ing tlie'opening of valve 8, sion of spring 32 (being resisted by the bi.- furcated end 33 of bar 34) thereby effecting a secure hold by bar 34 on nose 16. It is apparent that thefurther rod 27 moves, the

4' ing inlet and outlet conduits, a valve control-- and the outlet valve iso I be closed before the ormer can again be.

more rigid the lock becomes, so that as long as lever 21 is down, holdin valve 8 open, latch 34 is practically immovahle From the foregoinggit is obvious that applicant has provided a control mechanism compelling a fixed se uence of operation and one in which, after the inlet valve is closed ned, the latter must opened. Various modifications withinthe'scope of the presentimprovements will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 1

Iclaim. 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a receptacle having inlet and outlet conduits, a normally open valve in said inlet conduit, a normally closed valve in .said outlet conduit, an energized actuatingmeans for. said inlet valve, an energizable actuating means for said outlet valve, means normally restraining each of said actuating means, a ntfgi mally' inoperative lock'for said energized meansland a single control mechanism for initiating release of said restraining means, rendering said lock operative and operating said energizable means.

2. A water supply means for concrete mixing apparatus comprising a water tank havling each conduit, normally locked actuating means for each valve, a second lock for said inlet valve actuating means, mechanism for releasing said inlet valve actuating means, said last named means subsequently releasing said outlet valve-actuating means and becoming locked by said second lock,and means for operating said outlet valve actuating means.

3. In a device of the character described, a valve controlled conduit having a normally open valve, ly closing said valve, releasable means restraining said energized means, a second valve controlled conduit having a normally.

closed valve, actuating-means for opening sa1d valve, releasable means restraining sa1d actuating means positionedfor release by said energized means, means for automaticalable to successively means, a second locking means for one of sa1d I positioned for locking sa1d valve coning ap ,valve,

energized means for automaticah ly locking said energized means. in closed 1tiposition, mechanism for releasing said. rst

named. releasable means, whereby said enermechanism fol-opening said second named valve.

[4. A water supply means for concrete mix- 1ng apparatus comprising a water tank further upward movement of rod 27, attend h causes 'co'mpres-I aving inlet and'outletconduits, a valve in predetermined positions, -mechanism operrelease sa1d locklng valves sow currentlywith the release of said other valve and means for actuating said other valve.

5. A water supply means for concrete mix paratus comprising a water tank having inlet and outlet conduits,'a valve 1n each conduit, said inlet valve including energized operating means therefor, releasable means normally locking said outlet valve, releasable means normally locking said inlet means positioned for locking said inlet valve concurrently with the release of. said outlet of said inlet valve, and operating mechanism for initially releasing said inlet valve and subsequently 6. The combination set forth in preceding claim 5, said last namedlocking means being operatively connected with said operating mechanism. v 7. A water supply means for concrete mix-' ing apparatus. com rising a water tank aving inlet and out et conduits, a valve in each conduit',.,s a idinlet'yalve including energized operating means therefor, releasable means normally holding said operating means in energized'position, mechanism for valve.

being operatively connected.

' .9. A Water supply means for concrete mixl ing apparatus comprising a water tank having inlet and outletconduits, a valve in each conduit, said inlet valve including energized operating means means normally holding said means in energized position, mechanism for releasin said releasable means and establishing locking means for said operating means in a predetermined position, locking means .for said outlet valve releasable by said operating means in said predetermined posioperating valve subsequent to the initial release actuating said outlet valve.

ua predetermined position, locking.

Sis tion, and actuating means for said outlet v8. The combination set forth in preceding p claim 7, said mechanism and actuat ngmeans therefor, releasable tion, actuating means for said outlet valve, said mechanism and actuating means having la delayed action connection.

10. A Water supply means for concrete mixing apparatus comprising a. Water tank having inlet and outlet conduits, a valve in each conduit, said inlet valve including energized operating means therefor, releasable means normally holding said operating means in energized position, mechanism for releasing said releasable means and establishing locking means for said operating means in a predetermined position, locking means for said outlet valve releasable by said operating means in said predetermined position, actuating means for said outlet valve, said mechanism and actuating means having a delayed action connection, and means adapted to. operate a batch hopper operatively connected with said mechanism.

11. A water supply means for concrete mixing apparatus comprising a water tank having inlet and outlet conduits, a valve in each conduit, said inlet valve including energized operating means therefor, releasable means normally holding said operating means in energized position, mechanism movable in one direction for releasing said releasable means and establishing locking means for said operating means in a predetermined position and in another direction for disabling said locking means, spring actuated locking means for said outlet valve releasable by said operating means in said predetermined position, and actuating means for said outlet valve operatively connected with said mechanism.

12. Ina device of the character described, a measuring tank having a normally open inlet valve and a normally closed outlet valve, operating means for said valves and interconnected control mechanism therefor compelling a sequence of operations comprising closing of said inlet valve, opening and closing of said outlet valve before subsequent opening of said inlet valve.

Witness my hand this 9 day of April, 1928, county of Middlesex, State of N. J.

HELGE A. BERLE. 

